


Billy's Choice

by Celebrusc



Series: The Prince and the Rogue [8]
Category: Power Rangers
Genre: Cunning!Billy, Gen, Playing the Long Game, because 5 sides in this war weren't enough, dark!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 12:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13659186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celebrusc/pseuds/Celebrusc
Summary: Everyone thought it was a choice between Tommy, and Jason. Between The Alliance and the Rebellion. Between the Court and those that hunted them.But technically it was only one of these things. Billy was good with technicalities.OrThe one where Jason might have been the leader, but Billy was always the better tactician. And he was quite happy for people to forget that.





	Billy's Choice

**Author's Note:**

> You know, I though the intergalactic politics in this story were quite complicated enough. There were already 5 (possibly 6) very clear major factions. And all the infighting in the Alliance.  
> Turns out, Billy disagreed.
> 
> Timeline: Immediately following The Forming of the Court

The choice had come to all of them. The time had varied, as had the hesitation, but they had all chosen. All made their play. All but three had chosen Tommy, their Prince. To stand beneath the White Banner, to raise the Court high once again. For Billy, the approaching verge had been clear for over a year before the decision had to be made. His course had been set long before that though. In the end it had taken the better part of that year to choose what was essentially where he would officially lay his head at night.

The decision was obvious, the mental lists he had made were clear in their favour. Still, he had hesitated. For it was harder than he expected to ignore his emotions. To turn his back on one of his oldest friends. Jason had always had his back, always. Siding with the Prince had felt so much like betrayal, the pain of it a surprise that shocked Billy to the core. Yes, Jason was his Red, but he would not let the strands of Power dictate his fate. There was far too much at stake.

Billy knew that his choice had affected far more than him. Of those that had served with Tommy, Billy was the most well known in the intergalactic community. Aquitar were informed enough to make their own decisions, but they, as with Trey, had stood torn between their friends, and so had followed his lead. Karthos and Delta had placed their faith foolishly in Andros, never knowing the Astro Ranger had already given his word over a year before. They had shifted uneasily until Billy’s oath had followed theirs, however. Zack and Trini would follow him where ever he led. Torn between their leaders as he was.

For him though, the choice had made little difference. Well, it had. Greater resources, a well stocked lab. Solid and defended walls. Trust. Authority. Not having to watch over his shoulder and change location every few days. Hot water. Good food. A comfortable bed. These were the things he had gained.

Everyone thought it was a choice between Tommy, and Jason. Between The Alliance and the Rebellion. Between the Court and those that hunted them.

They were wrong.

The only decision made had been regarding the Court.

The Court was autonomous. Outside the law and authority of both the Alliance and the Council. Court membership was completely independant of political leanings. Technically.

Billy could work with technically.

The Blue Triceratops Ranger had sworn his loyalty to his White, the Phantom had not.

Technicalities.

There were more than two sides to any conflict. Any war.

His choice had nothing to do with the friends he would be using. Nothing to do with them at all.

Jason would never be able to stop Tommy, because he wanted to save him, and you can’t save the dead.

Tommy would never stop Jason, because he loved the Red Tyrannosaurus Ranger just enough to indulge him in an intergalactic war.

So Billy would ignore them, let Jason be his smokescreen.

Billy had chosen the Court all those weeks ago, yes. But he had not chosen the Alliance.

Let Jason have his war, Billy would work from within. A virus, corrupting and redistributing resources as it wished. Weakening the host and strengthening itself.

Logic, not emotion.

No, Billy would not let the strands of Power, those fractured memories of his morpher, dictate his fate. But he would use them. Oh how he would use them.

Wolves did not become dogs merely by the presence of a leash.

 

Safe behind the security measures that encircled his lab, deep within the lower levels of the Prince’s own keep, William Cranston opened the file containing the blueprints for the Alliance fleet ships. With sharp eye, and practiced ease, he began marking the weaknesses on the hovering three dimensional image.

Yes, his choice had made this much easier.

 

For the Greens, Tommy, might think themselves the masters of deception, but the Blues had long owned practicality. His living resources were few, so he rarely used them.

Billy had no illusions that he would be able to destroy the Alliance. He had at most a hundred years, most of the Alliance authorities had about a hundred thousand. But he would do what he could to alter it, to change it. To change his morpher’s imprint, so that this wouldn’t die with him.

He would focus on stockpiling tools for others, both physical and emotional, to fight this war. Both today, and when he was long gone.

He would haunt the Alliance with his actions for a long time to come.

Yes, he had made a choice that day. But it not been the one that people thought he had.

 

It was a pity really, that the others couldn’t see that it wasn’t a Prince that led them, but a Dragon. Alas, if only Jason had the strength to be their knight.


End file.
